New England Patriots Bill Belichick is closely associated with two things when it comes to football: winning and grumpiness.

With the former, Belichick boasts three Super Bowl rings, 11 AFC East titles and just two seasons with fewer than 10 wins with the Patriots. Outside of New England, though, Belichick has a way of reminding people of the latter.

Belichick's postgame demeanor, sideline presence and no-nonsense track record has a way of getting people to bust out the Thesaurus to describe him. Here's a brief look at all the ways to describe the Patriots coach: grouchy, frumpy, a curmudgeon, crabby, homeless-looking, cranky, Machiavellian and grumpy.

It's that last term, though, that is most often used when describing Belichick's demeanor. Whether it's speaking after the game or on the sidelines, the Patriots coach is known for keeping his expression somewhere between "stone-faced" and "Grinch-like." In fact, the Wall Street Journal went out of its way to do a study on Belichick's postgame appearances and determined that the Patriots coach had smiled seven times all season. Counting preseason and postseason games, that's a smile once every three games.

So, heading into Sunday's AFC Championship Game against a Denver Broncos team coached by the amicable John Fox, Belichick's demeanor will be juxtaposed even further. How much so? Just take a look at Wednesday's Denver Post.

The headline accompanied a column by Mark Kiszla that looked at the differences between Fox and Belichick.

"New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is a grumpy genius. He's Gru, the super villain from 'Despicable Me,'" Kiszla wrote. "And what to make of Broncos coach John Fox? He's your goofy uncle, with the easiest voice to mock since Foghorn Leghorn."

Kiszla took a couple shots a Belichick in an effort to create a debate over which coach was truly better, culminating in the question "why is Belichick celebrated despite Spygate?"

The blackest mark on Belichick's record likely plays an enormous factor in his dislike across the league and among fans. It's never a surprise when "cheater" is lumped in with "grumpy" and the other usual jabs. However, Belichick's reputation had been long entrenched by the time the scandal came down in 2007. It simply made Belichick an easier target.

Believe it or not, Bill Belichick can smile. There are photos and everything.AP Photo

Between the disdain pointed in his direction and the cold stance he usually takes when addressing the media, it's unusual -- and even disarming -- when the Patriots coach does flash a smile and show some personality.

The perfect example of this emerged in a story posted earlier this month on SeacoastOnline, which described an encounter between Belichick and a woman who failed to recognize the coach at a restaurant in Hingham, Mass., where he'd appeared after a reception for the movie "Lone Survivor."

According to SeacoastOnline, Natalie Healy, who has been connected with the film after her son Daniel died in Afghanistan in 2005, approached "Lone Survivor" star Mark Wahlberg at the the restaurant before turning to Belichick, who was at the table with him. However, Healy didn't recognize the coach.

The reason? He was smiling too much.

“I said to the man across from him, 'Excuse me sir you look kind of familiar. Were you in the movie?' and they all started laughing," Healy said. "So Mark said, no that's Coach (Bill) Belichick from the New England Patriots, so then they fell over (laughing).”

Healy responded, explaining: “'Oh I'm so sorry sir, I didn't recognize you because you were smiling so much,' and they fell over again.”

It doesn't happen often, but there have been a number of anecdotes like Healy's, describing Belichick off the field as, for lack of a better term, a normal person. Such was the case when Belichick was profiled during the 2010 season for the NFL Networks "A Football Life," where his behind-the-scenes demeanor surprised many viewers.

A deeper look, though, reveals that Belichick has a softer side and, at times, even a funny side. All of those pointing to the contrary should be directed this this legendary local TV segment from Belichick's days with the Cleveland Browns. In the clip, the coach shows viewers how to make the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

When it comes to Sundays (and Mondays Tuesdays or any other day where he's at Gillette Stadium) Belichick is as every bit the grump he's made out to be.